Electrical certification

[railbrid]

I had a new consumer unit fitted in a house 3 years ago. I had no idea about Part P or anything else. I'm now selling the house and being asked for a certificate. The original electrician has moved away, what do I do?
Help!

 

[GaryMo]

Employ the services of a competent electrician to carry out a Periodic Inspection Report.

 

[ericmark]

As already said "Periodic Inspection Report" is the way to go. The Electrician needs professional indemnity insurance but that is about the only legal requirement.

However other may wish to see some other credentials. The real one would be a City & Guilds 2391 certificate but in practice more likely to want the electrician to be a member of one of the organisation who provide self cert service for electrician under Part P.

You may be able through local council building control with provision of a Periodic Inspection Report to get a completion certificate. If you want that route go there first as they may stipulate which organisation the electrician must be a member of.

If the changing of the consumer unit was planned before 2004 then Part P is not required. Even if carried out after that date. However all electrical work should have either an installation cert or a minor works cert even well before Part P came in. Although not law electricians not providing this paperwork normally had something to hide.

So you have likely too problems as a result of not having paper work.
1) The electrician has not done the work correctly.
2) The regulations have changed since it was installed so any new certificate will point out how it no longer complies.

If therefore this is a major stumbling block it may need the consumer unit upgrading to new regulations in order to get paperwork which does not list Class 4 faults. It is very unlikely any PIR carried out on work completed before 2008 will show a clean bill of health and in 2008 the regulations changed.

Careful on the word "Competent" I am a competent electrician but I am not a member of a "Competent persons scheme" it was a very bad word to select "Registered Person" would have been better.

On change of occupant a PIR is required anyway. So talking to your solicitor may be way to go as to me seems daft to have two PIR's within such a short time. Also it means any faults the electrician must list as likely another check will be done shortly after. I would have expected this to be part of sellers pack but it seems it was left out!

 

[GaryMo]

So Eric, you believe that you need to be a member of a competent persons scheme to carry out a PIR?

 

[seasickstevie]

... but in practice more likely to want the electrician to be a member of one of the organisation ...

 

[GaryMo]

Competence is adequate.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If the changing of the consumer unit was planned before 2004 then Part P is not required. Even if carried out after that date.

There was a 6-month transitional period. That expired on the 30th June, 2005.

 

[chapeau]

Wrong!!

Again!!!

lol

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Wrong!!

What were the transitional arrangements then?

Again!!!

lol

Are you ever going to mature, or will you always behave in this pathetically juvenile manner?

 

[railbrid]

Well, thanks for the comments/advice... I've now tracked down the original installer and he has done a 3 hour inspection - v.v. thorough. All passed with flying colours..Unfortunately he still isn't registered although he is applying. I'm just worried that this won't be enough for the buyer (who was ready to exchange on Monday before this came up!) What I have learned from this is that I shouldn't have said we upgraded the electrics 3 years ago. If I hadn't said anything, the sale would have gone through by now.. I've learned my lesson and will keep schtum in future!

 

[GaryMo]

I'm not surprised the original installer passed his own previous installation with flying colours!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Wrong!!

Again!!!

lol

Do you intend to help the OP, and any others who read this topic in the future, by providing the correct information?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, thanks for the comments/advice... I've now tracked down the original installer and he has done a 3 hour inspection - v.v. thorough. All passed with flying colours..Unfortunately he still isn't registered although he is applying. I'm just worried that this won't be enough for the buyer (who was ready to exchange on Monday before this came up!)

Did the buyer specify that he would only accept a PIR from a registered electrician?

What I have learned from this is that I shouldn't have said we upgraded the electrics 3 years ago. If I hadn't said anything, the sale would have gone through by now.. I've learned my lesson and will keep schtum in future!

Were you asked the question, or did you volunteer the information?

If you were actually asked, then lying changes not having an EIC or a Building Regulations completion notice into fraud by false representation, an offence under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 and something probably not worth getting into for the sake of a PIR or a bit knocked off the price.

 

[railbrid]

Thanks for the prompt response. No, the buyer didn't specify a registered electrician but I've looked at the legislation and that's what it states, unfortunately. It's all on the Deputy Prime Minister's website and is quite clear that the certificate should come from someone who is Part P registered.

We were asked what improvements we had made and thought it would be a good selling point that all the electrics had been done, as the existing system was about 30 years old and there was no consumer unit, just a couple of fuses! Well, luckily it's not the end of the world, we'll just relet and wait til the electrician gains this Part P thing and do it again...Life goes on, eh??

 

[GaryMo]

A PIR can be carried out by a person competent to do so and not necessarily a member of a competent persons scheme.